The Public Statute Laws of the State of Connecticut: As Revised and Enacted ...

the presiding officer, or interrupt him in the discharge of his duty; or, after he has commanded silence, shall speak, to the disturbance of the business of such meeting; every person, so offending, shall pay a fine not less than one dollar, nor exceeding seven dollars, to the treasury of the town, according to the nature of the offence, to be heard and determined by a justice of the peace ; and if such offence be aggravated, by any high-handed violence, or breach of the peace, such justice of the peace shall bind the offender or offenders, to the next county court, to answer for such offence; which court may impose a fine, according to the aggravation of the offence, not exceed- ing thirty-four dollars, to the treasury of the county. And it shall be the duty of all informing officers, to en- quire after, and make due presentment of all breaches of this act. sect. 16. The select-men of the several towns shall procure, for the use of the electors, at their meetings, a ballot-box, with an aperture in the lid thereof, for the purpose of receiving the votes of the electors, in all ca- ses in which they are required by law to give in their ballots; which box the presiding officer, at any electors’ meeting, when it shall be needed, shall place before him, in a situation convenient for the electors to have access to ; and whenever the electors shall be called upon to give in their votes, for any officer or officers, with his or their names fairly written, they shall, under the direction of the presiding officer, proceed, in regular succession, and shall lay their ballots, successively, on the lid of said box; and the presiding officer, being satisfied that the

ballots given in, are single, shall put them into the box

Civil authority to assist presiding offcer.

Vacancy in senate of

through said aperture; and the votes so taken, shall be disposed of as the case may require, and as the law di- rects. sect. 17. It shall be the duty of the civil authority, present in any electors’ meeting, to assist the presiding of. ficer in the business of the meeting, in the receiving, entering, and disposing of the votes, and making out the proper certificates, according to law.

CHAP. II.

An Act regulating the election of Senators and Representatives, for this State, in the Congress of the United States.

- E it enacted by the Senate and House of RepSECT. 1. B. in General Assembly convened, That whenever any vacancy shall happen in the repre

sentation of this state, in the senate of the United States, by the expiration of the term of service of a senator, or by resignation or otherwise, the general assembly, if then in session, shall, by a concurrent vote of the senate and house of representatives, proceed to fill said vacancy, by a new election; and in case such vacancy shall happen in the recess of the general assembly, the governor shall appoint some person to fill the same, until the then hext meeting of the general assembly. sect. 2. The electors of the several towns in this state, at the meetings of the electors, on the first Monday in April, of every second year after the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, immediately after giving in their votes for secretary, shall be called upon, by the presiding officer, to bring in their ballots for seven persons, to represent this state, in the congress of the United States; and each elector present, may thereupon deliver his vote or suffrage to the presiding officer, for a number of persons, not exceeding seven, whom he would choose to represent this state, in the con- gress of the United States, with the names fairly written on one piece of paper: the presiding officer, assisted by the town-clerk and select-men, shall count the votes, and declare thein in the public meetings of the electors: he shall also make out, and certify, duplicate lists of the persons voted for, and of the number of votes given for each person; one of which lists shall be delivered to the town-clerk, of the town in which such votes shall be given, within three days after said meetings; and the other shall be delivered, within ten days after said meetings, under seal, either to the secretary, or to the sheriff of the county in which said town is situate, which list shall be directed to the secretary, with a superscription expres- sing the purport of the contents thereof. And each sheriff who shall receive such votes, shall, within fifteen days after said meetings, deliver them, or cause them to be delivered, to the secretary. sect. 3. The treasurer, secretary and comptroller for

United States, how filled.

Vacancy dur: ing recess, how filled.

Election of representatives in congress.

Lists of votes.

Canvass of

the time being, shall canvass publicly, within the month of vote.

April, 1821, and once in two years thereafter, the votes returned to the secretary, as aforesaid: the seven persoils having the greatest number of votes for representatives in the congress of the United States, shall be declared to be elected. The original returns of votes, and the result of the canvass, shall be submitted to the gener

Report to the general assem

al assembly, on the eighth day of their session, then next "ly.

following.

sect. 4. When any vacancy shall happen in the rep- vacancy, how resentation of the people of this state, in the congress of filled.

Writ of elec-tion.

.Meeting of the electors.

Presiding officer.

His duty.

Uanvass of wotes.

Notice to be given to persons chosen.

the United States, the person administering the office of governor shali make out writs of election, under his hand, directed to either constable of the respective towns in this state, ordering a choice to fill such vacancy, and cause them to be conveyed to the sheriffs of the respective counties, who shall forthwith transmit said writs of elec- tion to the constables of the respective towns, according to their several directions; and the constables aforesaid, on receiving the same, shall warn a meeting of the elec- tors, on the day directed in said writs, which day shall be the same throughout this state. And the electors having assembled, pursuant to said warnings, a presiding officer of each meeting shall be designated, in the same manner as is by law provided for the appointment of presiding officers of the annual meetings of the electors in April. And each elector present at such meetings, may give in his vote for one or more person or persons, as may be required to fill such vacancy, his or their name or names being fairly written on one piece of paper; and the presi- ding officer shall receive such votes, and with the assist- ance of the town-clerk and select-men, count and declare the same in the public meetings of the electors; he shall also make out and certify duplicate lists of the persons voted for, and of the number of votes given for each, one of which lists shall, within three days after said meetings, be delivered to the town-clerk of the town in which such votes shall be given, and the other shall be certified, seal- ed up and directed to the secretary, and shall, by the pre- siding officer, be returned to the sheriff of the county in which such votes shall be given, or to the secretary, in the same way and manner, and within the same time, as is provided for the return of duplicate lists of votes, by the second section of this act. sect. 5. The treasurer, secretary and comptroller, shall, within thirty days after the meetings last aforesaid, count and declare the votes so given and returned as aforesaid, in the same way as is provided for counting and declaring the votes given for persons to represent this state in the congress of the United States, by the third section of this act; and the person or persons (as may be required to fill said vacancy) who shall have the great- est number of votes, shall be declared to be duly elected. The original return of the votes given and returned as aforesaid, and the canvass, shall, within ten days after such result is known, be, by the secretary, submitted to the governor. - sect. 6. It shall be the duty of the secretary to give notice to all persons, chosen senators and representa- tives, for this state, in the congress of the United States. in either manner aforesaid, within ten days after their election is legally ascertained and declared ; and unless the persons so notified by the secretary, shall signify their acceptance or refusal in writing, to the govern- or, within twenty days after receiving notice of such choice, they shall be considered as refusing the same. sect. 7. The presiding officers in the meetings of the electors in the respective towns, shall make out the cer- tificates of the votes and proceedings of the electors, in the election of persons to represent this state in the congress of the United States, according to the forms hereafter prescribed, to wit: At a meeting of the electors in the town of- legally warned and held, on the first Monday of April, A. D. the following persons received the num- ber of votes annexed to their names respectively, for representatives of the people of this state, in the con- gress of the United States, to wit: Names. Number of votes in words at full length.

Duplicate list of votes for representatives, in the congress of the United States. Certified by A. B. presiding officer. And of the votes for a representative or representatives in congress, pursuant to a special writ of election, issued by the governor, as follows, to wit: At a meeting of the electors in the town of legally warned and held, pursuant to a special writ of election, on the day of A. D. the following persons received the number of votes annexed to their names respectively, to be a representative of the people of this state in the congress of the United States, to wit: Names.

Number of votes in words at full length.

Duplicate list of votes for a representative (or representatives, as the case may be) in the congress of the United States. Certified by A. B. presiding officer. sect. 3. The presiding officers, in making out said certified lists, shall insert the number of votes for each

Persons notified, to signify their acceptance or refusal within 20 days.

Certificates of Votes.

Form for rep- resentatives in congress.

In case of writ of election.

Number of votes in words at full length.

Form of superscription.

Town-clerk and select-men authorized to meeton Thursday next preceding first Monday of April, to decide upon qualifications of proposed electors.

Notice of such meetings, how to be given.

Meeting of town-clerk and select-men on first Mon- day of April.

Their duty to make certified copies, &c.

Such lists evidence of qualification.

Persons found qualified to be admitted electors, on taking the oath.

person voted for, in words at full length; and the super- scription on each of said certified lists, to be returned to the secretary of this state, shall be as follows, to wit: To the secretary of this state. Votes of the electors in the town of for rep- resentatives (or a representative, as the case may be) of the people of this state, in the congress of the United States, taken and sealed up, by A. B. presiding officer.

TITLE 29. Electors. An Act relative to the admission of Electors.

E it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Assembly convened, That the town-clerk, and select-men, of each town in this state, are hereby authorised (if they deem it expedient and necessary) to meet at the place of choosing representatives and state officers in the general assembly, on the Thursday next preceding the first Monday of April, in each year, at nine o’clock in the morning of said day, for the purpose of examining and deciding upon all applications to be admitted to the privileges of electors.

sect. 2. In all such cases, it shall be the duty of the town-clerk and select-men, to cause notice of such meetings to be given to the inhabitants of the town where such meetings are held, by posting such notice on the public sign-posts in said town, or by publishing the same in some public newspaper printed in such town, which notice shall be given at least five days previous to such meetlingS.

ote. 3. The town-clerk and select-men of the several towns in this state, shall meet together on the first Monday of April, in each year, at nine of the clock in the morning of said day, at the place of holding the elections, for the purpose of receiving, examining, and deciding on all applications to be admitted to the privilege of electors; and it shall be the duty of the select-men and townclerk, to make a certified list in writing, of all such persons as are judged duly qualified, at either of said meetings; which list shall be delivered to the town-clerk, and recorded in the records of the town, and shall be sufficient evidence that the persons contained in said list, respectively, possess the requisite qualifications for electors of this state.

sect. 4. Every person found qualified as aforesaid, upon taking the oath provided for electors, shall be admitted an elector of this state; and the names of all such